Aromatherapy is a beautiful Complementary Therapy and incorporates a wide range of fragrant plant essences and their theraputic effects to calm, soothe and revitalise the senses. These essences can be found in many cosmetic preparations today and are extracted by steam distillation like the petals of a rose or from cold expression like the zingy, sweet essential oil of a Lemon. Essential oils are applied in conjunction with massage movements to promote physical and psycological wellbeing.
Therapeutic massage with aromatic plant oils has been used since ancient times to support health and wellbeing. Egyptian hieroglyphics show evidence that plants were applied to the body for both their perfume and medicinal use. Essential oils of Frankincense and Myrrh were used for embalming due to their antibacterial properties. At celebrations men and women wore perfume cones on their heads made of oils of Rosemary and Thyme mixed with animal fats, these melted in the heat of the sun and ran onto the face and body to create and a deodorising perfume. After bathing they would anoint their bodies with oil to rejuvenate their skin.
The Greek physician Claudius Galen 129-199 AD was one of the world’s leading herbalists and was extremely influential with his studies of medicine. His career extended to personal physician to the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelia, as well as treating the wounds of many gladiators with medicinal herbs for a wide range of ailments.
The Romans further developed the use of aromatics for pleasure and Rome became the bathing capital of the world. Each spa had its own unctuarium where bathers were oiled and massaged for relaxation. Modern Aromatherapy developed through the work of Rene-Maurice Gattefosse in the early 20th century, a French chemist who founded an essential oil house that produced oils for cosmetics and fragrances. He came across the great healing effects of Lavender essential oil when his skin was burned in an accident. He applied Lavender oil and found that his skin healed quite quickly.
Aromatherapy use was developed further by the biochemist Marguerite Maury who established a unique method of applying essential oils with massage to relieve tension and revealed the benefits for natural skincare, developing a total health system.
